Court: Fatal Super 8 shooting caught on camera

A Super 8 surveillance camera captured the Dec. 18 shooting that killed 24-year-old Travis Coleman, according to testimony today in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Columbus Police said the video shows co-defendants Brandon Lamar Kennedy and Terrence Jordan Holloway, both 25, playing a role in the fatal incident.

Columbus Police said they found Coleman dead behind the wheel of a vehicle when they arrived to the 2935 Warm Springs Road hotel. The 24-year-old man was officially pronounced dead on the scene at 11:32 p.m., officials said.

Further investigation indicated that Coleman and Kennedy came in contact with one another a couple days prior to the homicide.

Coleman allegedly went to Kennedy’s Columbus home at 5487 Saratoga Drive on Dec. 16. between 7:50 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. He fired five or six gunshots outside of residence before leaving the area in a vehicle, according to the police testimony.

Kennedy then called the victim to speak with him about the incident, Sgt. Mike Dahnke told the court. A witness overhead the conversation, he added.

“Kennedy wanted to meet with the victim one-on-one and they resolve the issue between themselves,” Dahnke testified. “The victim refused, and Kennedy stated that he would handle the matter the way it’s handled on the streets.”

Police said a “similar incident” occurred at the same location on Dec. 18 around 8:30 p.m.

Later that evening, two men carrying handguns arrived at Coleman’s home on Rosemont Drive in a white vehicle. They walked toward the apartment but returned to the car and sped off before taking any action, police testified.

Dahnke said a surveillance camera obtained from the Super 8 hotel that captured the events that led up to the Coleman’s death and the fatal shooting itself.

At 10:50 p.m., Coleman drove into parking lot of the Super 8 with his girlfriend. A white 2009 Chevrolet Malibu registered to Holloway was seen traveling east on Warm Springs Road at that same time, officials said.

Police said the driver, who they identified as Holloway, headed west on Warm Springs Road at 10:52 p.m. He stopped at the Peachtree Package Store and a man police identified as Kennedy exited Holloway’s vehicle and walked across Warm Springs Road a minute later.

Dahnke said Holloway then drove into the hotel parking lot as Kennedy continued to walk toward Coleman, who was sitting alone in his vehicle parked on the west side of the Super 8. The victim’s girlfriend was inside the hotel at the time, authorities noted.

By 10:54 p.m., Holloway was allegedly driving in front of Coleman as Kennedy allegedly approached the victim from behind and shot inside of his car, striking Coleman multiple times.

Authorities said Holloway drove to the back portion of the parking lot area and Kennedy met him there. Kennedy jumped into the Chevy, and they both fled the area and headed left on Warm Springs Road, Dahnke stated.

Police said multiple witnesses confirmed much of what was captured on video. Officials issued multiple warrants on on Feb. 26 for both individuals, including murder.

Cpl. Nathan Norton, who know had knowledge of the warrants, saw Holloway driving the Chevrolet Malibu on Floyd Road near Booth Street. He initiated a traffic stop on Susan Lane, but Holloway allegedly fled the vehicle at a high-rated speed through a residential area.

“I initiated a brief vehicle pursuit on the vehicle by turning on my emergency blue lights and sirens but quickly lost sight of the vehicle as it went through multiple stop signs without braking,” Norton said in a police report.

Two officers that were in the area at the time engaged in the pursuit with the vehicle and located it in the driveway of Parkhill Drive residence. Holloway and Matthew Peyton, 25, of Columbus fled the area on foot but were captured a short time later.

Police said they were found in possession of crack cocaine, drug-related objects and weapons unrelated to the homicide. Both were taken into custody 12 p.m. Monday and charged accordingly.

Holloway has yet to face charges related to that incident.

On Tuesday, Kennedy’s mother called police to inform them that Kennedy would be seeking legal representation from Stacey Jackson. After speaking with his attorney, Kennedy surrendered to authorities at 4:06 p.m. Wednesday at the Columbus Public Safety Center.

Holloway, who was represented by Mark Shelnut, and Kennedy didn’t testify in court.

They both plead not guilty to murder and Kennedy also plead not guilty to possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Judge Michael Cielinski ordered they they both be held in Muscogee County Jail without bond on the murder charge but granted Kennedy a $10,000 on the weapon charge.

The case was bound over to Superior Court.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Court: Fatal Super 8 shooting caught on camera."